The Wedding
by BabyKay47
Summary: Jax and Courtney plan their wedding...
1. Part I

**Part I**

Courtney Matthews was engaged to the most wonderful man in the entire world. Her days were busy with plans for their upcoming nuptials and running her foundation now that she no longer had to worry about going to jail for a murder she did not commit. There were lots of decisions to be made—church, reception, flowers, and she still had not decided on a dress—but what weighed most heavily on her mind was the guest list. Jax wanted to have the grandest wedding to hit Port Charles in decades…he want to show everyone in the world how happy he was and how much he loved her and Courtney wanted to give him that. But the person who meant the most in the world to Jax refused to come to the wedding.

Courtney had to admit to herself that it hurt her deeply that Lady Jane did not think she was good enough to marry her son, but it hurt her worse because of the pain their estrangement caused Jax. He tried to hide it for her sake but Courtney knew how deeply connected he and Lady Jane had been, and she hated that there was such a big rift between the two of them, partly because of her. She wanted more than anything to fix this for Jax the way he had fixed so many things in her life. Jax had lovingly supported her as she sifted through her emotional baggage, so she wanted to shoulder some of his. That is why she booked a flight to leave for Alaska the next morning.

* * *

Jax could not wait to return home, especially since he knew that Courtney would be there. Once they had set a date for their wedding, there had been no reason for Courtney not to move in with him. Now her things were all over the place. No room had gone untouched by her feminine decorating sensibilities. Especially the bedroom, which is where he found her with her clothes scattered about on the bed packing a large suitcase.

"Where do you think you're going?" Jax asked Courtney eyeing her suitcase.

Startled by his sudden appearance, Courtney dropped the shirt she was holding and turned around to greet him. "You're home early!" She smiled and pulled him into a kiss.

"And not a moment to soon, either. What's with the suitcase?" he questioned.

"I have some business to take care of. It came up suddenly." Courtney turned away to hide her blush. She hated lying to Jax even if it was for him. She continued packing her bag.

"How long will you be gone?"

Courtney really had no idea. She was stubborn enough not to leave until Lady Jane agreed to come to the wedding, but she did not know how stubborn Lady Jane could be. Jax told her that she and Lady Jane had a lot in common, so it could take a while. "Just a few days. I could get it wrapped up in a day, or it could take me longer."

"Just as long as you're back in time for the wedding."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world!"

"You'd better not considering I'd have to marry the maid if you didn't show up."

"Which is why I hope to get this wrapped up quickly."

"I'm going to miss you when you're gone," Jax said seriously, snuggling up behind her and nuzzling her neck.

Relaxing in his embrace, Courtney responded, "I'm going to miss you, too. I hate leaving you. I won't be able to sleep without you."

Jax sighed exaggeratedly. "And I'll finally get a decent night of sleep without having to listen to you snore!"

Courtney swatted him. "That's not what Geraldo said last night…"

"The doorman! You cheated on me with that guy? I thought you had better taste than that!"

"I have a wide variety of tastes! Sometimes it's the doorman, sometimes the kid who takes Rosie for walks sometimes, the masseur…he's got great hands you know—"

"Why you little liar!" Jax interrupted her, turning her around and kissing her soundly. She really couldn't get enough of him kissing her, and he knew it as he slowly pushed her onto the bed, knocking the clothes onto the floor. He then proceeded to remind her with his mouth, hands, and hard body that no one else could ever make her feel the way he does.

* * *

Courtney had booked a commercial flight even though she knew that Jax would gladly have given her the use of his private jet. In fact, even though they were not married yet, he still considered everything that was his as being hers now too. But in her efforts at secrecy she had even had him drop her off at the wrong airline ticket counter, since he insisted that he drive her to the airport even though she had protested. Little did she know that Jax had a secret trip planned himself.

* * *

Alaska was really beautiful. The closest airport she could get to commercially was several hours drive away from Lady Jane's home. Not wanting to alert any of the staff who might inadvertently alert Jax and undoubtedly Lady Jane by chartering a private plane to the estate, she had rented a car. It gifted her with scenic views of majestic mountains, monumental glaciers, and some of the most beautiful wildflowers she had ever seen. Sometimes her breath would catch from the beauty around her. She was sad that Jax was not there to share this experience with her, and she knew he would be disappointed that he had not been able to share it with her either once she told him what she had done. But she hoped that bringing Lady Jane to the wedding would be worth it.

Because Alaska was so far north she knew that she would have plenty of sunlight and had no problem finding the place. There was basically one road in and one road out. When she finally laid eyes on the house that Jax had spent a good deal of his life in, she was once again struck by how important it was that she could convince his mother to come to their wedding. Seeing his home she wondered what his life was like and if he had changed that much. She wanted to know everything about him when he was younger, but she was not hopeful that Lady Jane would fill her in. But she was determined to do her best.

The house was like a log cabin—picturesque and perfect. Courtney tried to imagine a younger Jax living in that house. Then she was stepping outside her sports utility vehicle, walking up to the door and knocking on it.

"What in the hell are you doing here?"

* * *

Jax had been to Atlantic City many times. Usually to gamble or engage in other acts of debauchery. But this time he was on a mission. Jax knew that Courtney and her mother were not on speaking terms. From the way Courtney told it, Janine had no interest in her daughter's life once she had realized that Courtney's marriage to Jason the millionaire was not going to happen due to Carly's kidnapping. He also knew that although Courtney had forgiven her mother for the aborted wedding, she was still hurt that Janine had accepted money from AJ in a last minute effort to sabotage her wedding. But even with all the hurt she had caused, Jax knew that Courtney still loved and missed her mother. She had told him once that in the depths of her depression over her miscarriage when she felt like there was no one she could turn to, she had wished that her mother was there to hold her in her arms as she cried the way she used to when she was a little girl. But Jax knew that she was too proud and stubborn to make the first move at reconciliation. So he determined to make the move for her and invite Janine to the wedding himself.

Finding Janine had taking a little investigation and a little sneaking on his part. The address he had gotten surreptitiously from Courtney's address book had been old. But all h needed was a starting place. He had found out that Janine was now living in a decent apartment complex nearby her job where she worked as a hotel manager. He had also found out that she usually worked evening shifts so he figured she would be home in the middle of the day, although possibly asleep.

He realized he was right on both counts when she opened the door in her robe, with traces of sleep still in her eyes. Noticing him in his immaculately tailored suit, she abruptly closed the door. Jax rapped his knuckles against the door again, but got no response, so he decided to wait and see what would happen.

A few minutes later, the door opened with a flourish to reveal Janine decked out to the nines with diamonds in her ears and around her throat and stiletto heels. "What can I do you for, Mr.…" she asked leaning on the door provocatively and reaching out her hand in a gesture of greeting.

Jax struggled to cover his laughter at her antics, but debonairly introduced himself. Extending his hand to grasp hers and kiss it, he said, "Jasper, Jasper Jacks. I do believe we've had the pleasure of meeting once before, but so long ago I could see how you've forgotten me."

"Now that you say it, you do seem familiar," she responded, leading him inside to sit down in her living room. "I'm embarrassed to have forgotten a man as tall and handsome as you are. Now what can I do for you?"

"I'm here in regards to your daughter—"

"Courtney? Is she all right? You're not one of her mobster brother's associates?" she asked suddenly eyeing his suit with disdain. "You're not trying to ransom her are you? You know I'd do anything for my baby girl, but I don't have any money. These earrings," she said pulling off the clip ons, "they're not real—"

"No, no! Courtney, she's fine. She's fantastic even. I like to credit myself with making her happier than she's ever been."

"What do you mean?"

"Your daughter and I are engaged to be married!"

"Married? Wait…You're Jasper Jacks from Port Charles?" She got up and picked up a magazine from a stack on her coffee table. Rifling through it she finally saw the article she was looking for. "Jasper Jacks, one of the _world's_ most eligible bachelors." She began to read the article out loud: "'Australian born billionaire Jasper "Jax" Jacks…' Wait a second…did that say _billionaire?_" Looking up from the accompanying picture, there was no denying that the man sitting on her couch was _the_ Jasper Jacks of J and J Jacks, Inc. With that Janine let out a howl of laughter. "My baby girl's done hit the Jack's pot! 'Jack's pot!' Get it? As in 'jackpot!'"

Unable to control his laughter any more, he joined her in her mirth. "This calls for champagne! Too bad I don't have any. How about whiskey? I think I might have a little vodka, or how about a beer? How's my baby girl treating you?"

"I certainly couldn't allow a lady to drink alone, how about a beer?"

"Beer it is!" Janine exclaimed, getting up to get their drinks.

"Courtney has made me fabulously happy," Jax told her as she returned. They clinked their bottles together and Janine took a deep swill.

"I'm glad to hear that."

"But more importantly I want you to know that I will do my best to make all of your daughter's dreams come true."

"Be still my heart! There aren't more of you are there?"

Jax laughed. "I do have an older brother—"

"Ooh! Goodie!"

"But he's currently a fugitive from the government for money laundering."

"Fooey," she complained settling back more comfortably in her seat. "No matter. As long as Courtney's happy, I'm happy." After studying him for a moment, she asked, "Surely you didn't come all this way just tell me my daughter is getting married."

"How astute of you. I flew her in my private jet to personally invite you to the wedding and upon your acceptance, bring you back with me."

"Does Courtney know about this?"

" Once again your intuition astounds me. No, Courtney has no idea that I've flown all this way to invite you."

"Are you sure she even wants me there?" Janine got up and walked towards the window gazing out forlornly. "You know, she and I haven't spoken in almost two years. I only know about her life from what I read in the newspapers. And that is so little. The last thing I'd read about her was that she'd been in a fire and somehow had gotten ten million, which she used to start a foundation for needy kids. I thought about calling her up a million times to tell her how proud of her I was, but I was so afraid that she'd hang up on me. She has every reason to, you know." Janine wiped away a tear.

Jax got up and handed his future mother-in-law a handkerchief.

"Thanks," she sniffled into the handkerchief and then indelicately blew her nose.

"Ms. Matthews—"

"Please call me Janine."

"Janine, I can understand your fear. My father and my brother lied to me about their business dealings. They did it to protect me, but I ended up getting arrested anyway. I was so mad at them I never thought I would be able to forgive them. But I did. And your daughter has one of the most open hearts with a limitless capacity for forgiveness and compassion. It's one of the things I love most about her. And I know that she loves you. So please come to our wedding. I know it would please Courtney."

"Oh, thank you, Jax!" Janine exclaimed throwing her arms around him to hug him. "Nothing could keep me away! Did you say you'd fly me there in your own private jet…"


	2. Part II

**_Thank you for the reviews! Rest assured this IS a Casper story. I'm just trying to address some of the issues that GH always creates, but glosses over. It's a real injustice to the couple._**

**Part II**

"Hello, Mrs. Jacks. I hope that you are well." Courtney had stopped cold in her tracks at the bottom of the porch steps. She looked up at Lady Jane who was standing in the doorway with the screen door closed, looking decidedly unwelcoming.

"I was very well before you showed up."

In the awkward silence that ensued, Courtney tried to think of the best way to broach the subject of her upcoming wedding with her estranged son. She thought it best if they were on more level ground first. "May I come inside?"

"I suppose you may," Lady Jane said turning around and walking back inside. Courtney followed and shut the door behind her.

She had stepped into a time capsule with pictures of the Jacks family all over the walls of the foyer and the living room where Lady Jane was seated watching her. Courtney was immediately drawn to a picture of a little boy with thick blond curls, bright red chubby cheeks and the bluest eyes that looked back out at her familiarly. She knew it was Jax and her heart automatically began imagining a child that looked just like him. _Oh, Jax, _she thought to herself longingly, _if we ever get the chance to have a child and he's a boy, I hope he looks like you in this picture._

She also saw family portraits through the years, the four of them together when Jax and his brother were just boys, and later as they matured into handsome young men. "What a lovely collection of pictures," Courtney told her politely. Lady Jane nodded noncommittally. There was also a picture of Jax and Alexis from their short marriage. Also on the wall there was what seemed to be a recent picture of Brenda—she could tell from the absence of the Groucho Marx eyebrows. Turning to Lady Jane she raised a delicate eyebrow, "You still keep in touch with Brenda?"

"Even though she and Jax never made it to the alter…at least not _legally_…in my heart she will always be my _true_ daughter-in-law."

Taking that as a call to arms, as it was meant to be, Courtney retorted. "You do realize that Jax is no longer in love with her don't you?"

"He's nursing a broken heart and he's using you to do it," Lady Jane replied levelly. "Did _you_ know that he saw Brenda when he went to London and bought you that ridiculously large diamond you're wearing?"

Courtney gasped in shock, but tried to hide her surprise.

"I see you didn't." Her lips turned up in a triumphant smirk. "Don't you think it's a little odd that your fiancé didn't think to tell you that he saw his former fiancée on the trip where he decided to ask you to marry him?"

"I trust Jax."

"As you should. You on the other hand, I'm not so sure about. How do I know you won't break Jax's heart?"

"You don't know anything about me."

"I know enough."

"Well, then I hope that you know that I don't take kindly to being told who to love and who not to. And I love Jax with every fiber of my being. He's the reason why I wake up every morning smiling and the reason why I go to bed at night satisfied and happy that I'd lived the day to the fullest. And Jax loves me, too. Everyday he shows me in some new fantastic way just how much. We are going to get married and hopefully start a family, and I came here today to ask you in person to be a part of our life together because I know how much it would mean to Jax. But I will not stand here and let you insult me and our love. And if you don't want to be a part of it, then the only one who will be breaking Jax's heart is you!"

Courtney stood there, chest heaving, eyes glaring at Lady Jane who sat there coolly returning with a steady gaze. Then she raised her hands and began to clap slowly and rhythmically. "What an amazing performance. Your impassioned speech almost convinced that you really love my son. I really and truly wished that were true, but I don't believe it. If you're anything like your brother, then I know you're incapable of it. Sure…you can put on a good act, you can be seductive, and even just a little dangerous…something my son can't resist, unfortunately, but you can't actually love someone. You're too selfish for real love, which is probably why your other two marriages didn't work."

"You're discrediting me because of my _brother?_ I can assure you that I know what real love is. I know that it can make you smile so much your face hurts and feel like you can fly and yet dizzy from giddiness all at the same time. And I know that love doesn't come without its problems…but Jax and I…we work them out together because we can't imagine our lives without each other.

"It was obviously a bad idea for me to come here. I had hoped that I could surprise Jax with the news that his mother, the one woman in the world that he loves just as much as me, had agreed to share a really special moment in his life. But I suppose I won't be able to do that."

Lady Jane did not say anything to that, but looked away.

Courtney turned around angrily to leave, but not without one last parting rejoinder. "And as far as my brother goes, if he was incapable of loving your precious Brenda, that's probably because she didn't deserve it! She certainly never deserved Jax!"

Lady Jane watched impassively as Courtney walked out of her home. She got up and went to the window to watch her taillights become small red dots on the horizon until they finally disappeared. Then she picked up her phone.

"Murphy, get over here as soon as possible. I'm going to Port Charles."

* * *

_Why didn't I use the telephone? _Courtney admonished herself as she turned the key to her and Jax's apartment.

Opening the door she found the apartment empty, so she flopped on the sofa, and tried to think of ways to tell Jax that his mother was not going to be coming to the wedding. Thinking of how she had recklessly gone to see Lady Jane, confident that once they got to really talk to each other, she would be able to convince her that she was going to make Jax happy, made her cringe. Instead she had gone to Alaska to be insulted, and basically guaranteeing that she and Lady Jane would never get along. "That went really well," she said aloud sarcastically and let out a deep sigh.

"What went well?" Jax asked, startling her from her reclined position as he walked into the room from the hallway. He leaned down and kissed her neck from behind in a welcoming gesture.

Courtney groaned in pleasure, but let out a dejected sigh when he came around the couch to sit beside her.

"That bad, huh?" Jax asked, noticing her mood. "If the foundation is that bad off, maybe it will help if I take a look at it—"

"No, Jax, it's not that."

"What is it then?" he asked rubbing her thigh.

"I…I lied to you when I told you that I was going away on business."

Jax stiffened at her words.

"I didn't go away on business. I flew to Alaska to ask your mother to come to our wedding."

Jax relaxed at hearing the truth. It was a perfect segue for the surprise he wanted to share. "It's all right, Courtney," he told her smiling.

"It's all right? It's not Jax. It was a disaster. From the moment I got there she was extremely rude to me, and you know how I get when people are rude. Of course it escalated from there, and now I'm pretty sure you're mother will never ever like me. Let alone accept me as her daughter-in-law."

"Aww, Courtney," Jax responded pulling her into a hug. "Lady Jane will come around. She just has to get to know you. I'm sorry you had such a bad experience. You must not have stayed long since you are back so soon. But I really appreciate that you would go all that way for me. It means a lot to me."

"I just wish that your mother could be happy for us. I know how much she means to you."

"She will, when she sees how much we love each other and how happy you make me."

"I hope you're right," she said, relaxing into his side. She was glad that he was taking the news about his mother so well. She still remembered how hurt she was when her father did not accept their engagement at first. But that wasn't the only reason she still felt disquieted by her visit with Lady Jane. Niggling in the back of her brain was the possibility that Jax and Brenda were still close, just as Lady Jane was obviously close to her.

"Do you remember when you asked me to marry you?"

"Of course I do!" he said, laughing into her hair.

"I mean, do you remember why you decided you wanted to marry me?" she asked nervously. "I hadn't even told you that I loved you yet."

"I just knew in my heart that you loved me. I knew how hard it would be to admit it because you'd been so hurt before, but I trusted you. I trusted that one day you'd tell me. And I knew that when you did that I would want to marry you because I already couldn't imagine not spending the rest of my life with you."

"Are you sure that's it…that there wasn't any other reason?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are you sure there wasn't another person?"

"I still don't understand."

"Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about, Jax. You're mother told me that you saw Brenda in London."

"Are you jealous?"

"NO! Of course not. I just want to know why you never thought to tell me before."

"I didn't think it would matter to you."

"It doesn't," Courtney replied quickly. But she was still clearly agitated and got up to walk around the couch.

"It does matter," Jax replied, wisely noticing how uneasy Courtney seemed. "But what I can't understand is why."

"I'm not jealous, if that's what you're thinking," she said looking him straight in the eye.

"Courtney, she came to visit me. She had heard that I was in town and wanted to catch up. She knew that we were together and seemed genuinely happy for us. I told her that I foresaw us getting married, and I showed her the ring. She told me that I'd always had good taste. Then she left. That was it."

"That's not the way your mother made it seem. And if that was it, why didn't you tell me before? We're about to be married! This kind of stuff is important," she exclaimed, throwing her hands up angrily.

"Why didn't _I _tell _you?_ I'll tell you. Because I didn't think it was any of your business. And it might make you unnecessarily jealous…which it seems to be doing."

"None of my business? You almost married her THREE times! How is that not my business?"

"It's not your business the way you didn't think it was my business to know that you lied for your ex-husband about asking him to pick you up at the Metro Court the day we were both SHOT at."

Courtney gasped. "How did you know?"

"You're a terrible liar, Courtney, did you know that? I knew that you never called Jason. We had made plans to go to the ceremony together. And I didn't think Jason would pick you up even if you had asked. But I also knew why you would lie to me about it. It wasn't because you were in love with him. But despite the fact that he treats you as an afterthought, you still feel obligated to him…probably because you still feel guilty about the way your marriage ended and because you miscarried. And you didn't want me to get jealous. So you tried to spare my feelings. Well I knew. And I still hate that you feel obligated to that jerk, but I love you more. However, I won't sit here and let you make _me_ feel guilty about talking to the woman I used to love, when you're constantly trying to protect the man who almost got you and me both killed!"

"If that's the way you really feel then maybe we shouldn't get married."

"Courtney, you're blowing this way out of proportion."

"No. I'm not. I'm finally seeing that your mother was right about me. Maybe I am incapable of loving anyone the way they deserve. I did the one thing I knew AJ wouldn't be able to forgive, and that was turn to Jason. With Jason I couldn't handle his life or carry his child. And I can't seem to stop lying to you."

"Courtney. Don't be so hard on yourself—" Jax got up to try to comfort her, but she would not let him touch her.

"No, Jax…I…" She was not even able to articulate what she wanted to say as tears streamed down her face. Courtney had just grabbed her purse and was about to leave when Janine came bounding through the hallway.

"Courtney, I just heard about your upcoming wedding. Congratulations!" She drew Courtney into her arms and hugged her ferociously.

"Mom? What are you doing here?"

"Jax flew down to Atlantic City to personally invite me to your wedding."

Pulling away from Janine Courtney responded, "I'm sorry but it seems to have been a wasted trip. Jax and I are no longer engaged." With that she turned and left the apartment.

"What did you do to my baby girl!" Janine asked.


	3. Part III

**Part III**

"Janine, I'll explain later, but I need to go after Courtney!" Jax said as he grabbed his keys off his desk.

"No, you'll explain now. If Courtney doesn't want to see you, then I'm not going to let you get in her face. Now let me ask again, what did you do to my daughter?" Janine asked firmly, standing in Jax's way to prevent him from leaving. "Why would Courtney want to call off her wedding?"

Jax sighed but figured it would be easier to just explain, and perhaps giving Courtney some time to think would not be such a bad idea. "My mother told Courtney that I saw my ex-fiancée in London. She got jealous. But nothing happened!"

"If nothing happened, then why would she take off running?"

"It's complicated…I think it might have something to do with my mother not liking her…" Seeing that Janine still looked unsatisfied with his explanation, he continued, "Look, I need to go after Courtney!" he exclaimed agitatedly. "I'll apologize and we'll straighten it all out. But I have to find her first…so if you'll excuse me…" he said sidling past her.

He opened the door to find his mother standing there with her hand poised to knock. "I didn't come at a bad time, did I?"

"Yeah, you kind of did," Jax said, allowing her in. "Mum, this is Janine Matthews, my future mother-in-law. Ms. Matthews, this is my mother, Jane Jacks," Jax introduced.

"Nice to meet you," Janine said extending her hand to shake. "But I won't be your mother-in-law if you don't go out there and find my daughter."

"What do you mean find her? Has she gone running back to Jason already?"

"Mother!"

"My daughter wants nothing more to do with that illiterate thug!" Janine exclaimed, slightly offended.

"Oh, really? I got the distinct impression that she was still in love with him when I first met her," Lady Jane said, matter-of-factly.

"That buffoon was never good enough for my baby girl! He was nothing but a no good hoodlum. I'm so glad she's found someone like your son."

"I wish I could say the same about your daughter."

"What are you trying to say about Courtney? She's beautiful and smart. She always got good grades in school."

"If that's so, then why was she a stripper?"

Jax was about to say something in Courtney's defense when Janine chimed in first. "Hey! You don't know anything about her circumstances. Courtney never grew up rich. A job is a job to her. She had to make ends meet and so she found something flexible. There's nothing wrong with that. She and Jax are going to be married as soon as he finds her. So you need to start showing her some respect."

Ignoring Janine, Lady Jane focused her attention on Jax. "You should just let her go, Jax. She's not worth it."

"Mother! That's enough! If you say one more ill word about Courtney I will take you back to the airport myself! I love Courtney! I never thought that I would be able to feel this way about someone after Brenda, but I do. She _is _worth it. She is everything to me, and you are just going to have to accept that she is my life now, or you will no longer be a part of mine."

For the first time Lady Jane began to see the depth of her son's feelings for Courtney. This clearly was not just a game or a challenge to him, like she had originally thought. Jax seemed to be genuinely sincere and earnest in his feelings, although she could not understand why. She still had a sense of foreboding…that her son was setting himself up for heartbreak. But even if that was the case—and there was still a chance it might not be—Lady Jane knew it was not worth losing Jax over. Jax had survived Miranda, Brenda, Chloe, and Skye…he would survive Courtney too. So she decided to play nice. That way if something did happen she would be there to console her son.

"All right," Lady Jane agreed. "I promise to be nothing but supportive from now on. And if I can't say anything nice, I won't say anything at all."

"Thank you, mother." Jax sighed. With relief and then reached out to hug her. Pulling back, he said, "Now I _really_ need to find Courtney. I think knowing we have your support, albeit begrudging, will help my case. I gotta go." Noticing that Janine still seemed to have her hackles raised, he asked, "Will you two be all right here together?"

"We'll be just dandy as long as your mother refrains from insulting my daughter," Janine replied, slanting her eyes at Lady Jane.

"I give you my word of honor that I won't say another word against Courtney."

Jax thought he heard Janine mutter something under her breath about not trusting a rich person's sense of honor, but decided to ignore her. Then he was out of the door and after Courtney.

* * *

Courtney drove aimlessly. She did not want to return to the loft where memories of Jax permeated every inch…from the bed to the kitchen sink to the shower…Nor did she want to go to Kelly's for the same reason. Once they had even snuck upstairs to one of the empty rooms…and they had gone dancing one night at The Cellar…he was all over her and she did not want to wait, so they went into the ladies' room and he stuffed his tie in her mouth to muffle her screams of pleasure. To be honest, there was not a single place in Port Charles she could go to find solace. Even the backseat of her car had been christened with their love-making—she had to stop torturing herself! 

But she and Jax had spent so much time together getting to know each other and falling in love. He had bared his soul to her and she had been so afraid for so long to let go of the past. She was obviously still struggling with it or she never would have lied to Jax.

Courtney felt so guilty. When Sam told her that Jason had risked his freedom to try to rescue her, she felt grateful. And she still felt bad that she had not been able to help Jason adopt baby Hope, especially since she lost their own. So she gave Jason an alibi. But she also knew Jax would be furious, so she lied to him too. Only he knew about it! He knew, but he was polite enough not to say anything. And then she got mad at him for keeping his meeting with Brenda to himself! Courtney could not stand the insecurities she felt just at the _mention_ of Brenda, and yet she was doing the same things with Jason constantly. Courtney was such a fool! When she heard that Jax had seen Brenda…perhaps in Hyde Park where Jax had seen that old couple and thought of marrying her…Courtney immediately felt a flare of jealousy. She knew in her mind that Jax would never cheat on her—he knew she would go off on him like he was a punching bag—she also knew in her heart that Jax loved her. But just the thought of Brenda Barrett made her unusually insecure.

She did not know much about her only having met her maybe once or twice, but she knew enough. Courtney thought she was perhaps one of the most beautiful women in the world, or at least that is the way men behaved around her. Men would fall at her feet the way they never did for Courtney. She could remember at one time feeling jealous of the petite brunette's relationship with Jason. And with Jax it was even worse because she knew that Jax had loved that woman whole-heartedly. He had forgiven her for so much, and they had tried to get married so many times, but stuff kept getting in the way. If Jax couldn't make it work with a woman like Brenda, how could he ever make it work with her when she was constantly messing up her relationships, and letting Jax down? And how could he trust her when she was doing the same things that Brenda had done? She could certainly understand why Jax would want nothing more to do with her. So it was just best for them not to be together. Since she could not give him what he deserved, she would let him go to find someone else, even if she happened to be his former love.

The thought of not being with Jax made her sick to her heart, though. They had made so many plans. After their wedding they would do some more traveling. Then they were going to buy a house and try to start a family. Since they both knew it might be difficult for her to get pregnant, they did not think they should wait, but start as soon as possible. They had both even gone to see Dr. Meadows so that she could begin some preliminary tests to see if Courtney's condition had changed any over time. Now all of those plans were shot to hell and Courtney had no one to blame but herself.

It started to rain hard, but Courtney continued her fast and furious pace. Pools of water formed quickly in lows parts of the road mixing with the oils and gases on the pavement creating treacherous conditions. But Courtney was not thinking about that. Her only concern was Jax. With the rain blurring her windshield, and her tears blurring her vision, Courtney did not see the deer until it was too late. She slammed on her breaks. The watery conditions caused her to hydroplane and she lost control of her car.

The last thing she remembered before she lost consciousness was the smell of fresh cut grass mixed with gasoline, the feel of rain softly peppering her body and the taste of something warm, salty, and slightly metallic.


	4. Part IV

**Part IV**

Jax did not think that Courtney would be at the loft, but he thought he would try there first. The place was a ghost of what it used to be. Even though Courtney had moved in with Jax, Courtney had not sold the place. She told him that she wanted to be able to show their child the place where they had fallen in love some day. However, most of her things were gone. All the shelves and drawers were empty. The bed was naked, absent of sheets and pillows. The soft pinging of the rain on the window was the only sound breaking the eerie silence and added to the ghostly feel of the apartment. In the darkness the place looked strangely alien. He could tell that it had been many weeks since its rooms had held occupancy.

He was about to leave when his cell phone began to ring.

"Jasper Jacks."

"Jax, this is Steven Webber. I'm sorry to be the one to tell you, but your fiancée Courtney has been in a car accident…"

Jax felt his heart fall to his stomach. The fear that clenched him made it hard for him to breath. His body was physically preparing his heart and mind for the worse, but still he did not want to ask. All these emotions went through him in the second it took for Steven to continue.

"…She was just brought in a moment ago."

"Is she all right?" he choked out.

"She was unconscious, but her injuries on the surface seem minimal. We're doing more tests now to make sure that there are no internal injuries. But I'm optimistic her diagnosis will be good."

"Thank you! I'm on my way!" Jax said quickly hanging up the phone.

* * *

As Courtney regained consciousness, the first thing she noticed was the dull throbbing in her head. She blinked her eyes open slowly as she recalled her car's tumble into a ditch. Then she reoriented herself, realizing that she was in a bland, sterile hospital room for what felt like the millionth time. She hated hospitals. And she wanted Jax to come rescue her. She wanted to feel him wrap his arms around her and hold her close as he whispered how much he loved her…then she remembered that they had broken up. Or rather, that she had selfishly broken up with him. She began to cry from a mixture of physical pain, emotional heartache, and general depression.

Then the unmistakable voice of the man she loved sounded from behind the door, followed by a hand pulling it open, and then his worried smile appeared like a ray of sunshine breaking through the clouds.

"Courtney! Thank god you're all right!" he exclaimed leaning down to kiss her. Then he sat down gingerly next to her on the bed and cupped her face. He noticed a bruise on the side of her face and a bandaged cut. "Are you in a lot of pain?" he asked as he wiped away her tears with his thumb.

Courtney nodded, and then winced with the pain her motion brought.

"Lie still," Jax crooned. "I'll see if I can get a nurse to get you something," he said getting up and going outside. He returned with a nurse that gave her an analgesic intravenously.

Then he sat down next to her, and began to play with her hair and caress her arm—anything to stay in constant contact with her, in order to assure himself that she was alive. "You know, they found you near West Haven. Your car was overturned. What were you doing way out there?"

"I didn't have anywhere else to go," she let out weakly.

Jax nodded understandingly. "I went to the loft. I didn't think you would be there…" He paused, remembering the last time they made love at the loft. "We had a lot of good times there didn't we?" He smiled a little lasciviously. Courtney could not help but grin through her pain when he smiled at her like that.

She began to blink slowly, and he knew that she was growing sleepy. It must have been her pain medication kicking in. "Go to sleep, Courtney. You're understandably tired…I'll be right here, waiting for you to wake up. I'm not going anywhere."

He watched her sleeping peacefully for a few moments, taking simple delight in just watching her chest rise and fallen evenly with her breaths. He felt a little light-headed with relief. Courtney was all right.

* * *

The next time Courtney woke up, it was to the sound of her mother demanding to know where she was.

"I am her mother, and I have the right to see for myself that she is all right!" Courtney heard her yell from outside her door.

"Shh! Janine." Jax tried to quiet her. "She's inside sleeping."

"I know that!" she said in a lower tone. "It's just that when I got your call, I'd never been so scared in my life, and I just want to see her. Even if she's sleeping."

"Of course," Jax said opening the door. He immediately noticed that she was awake and smiled at her. "Hey there, sleepyhead."

"Courtney!" Janine exclaimed rushing to her and kissing her face. "I was so worried about you. What were you thinking driving in the rain like that?"

"Mom? Could you not talk so loud? My head hurts."

"Oh! I'm sorry!" she replied in a loud whisper. Courtney grimaced.

"Could you get me some water? I'm thirsty."

"I got it," Jax said, leaving the mother and daughter to talk.

Courtney tried to sit up, and Janine reached out to help her. When they got her comfortably settled, Courtney asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Can't a mother be worried about her daughter?"

"I don't mean at the hospital. I mean here in Port Charles. You know I've been hurt before…much worse even…and you never bothered to show."

"I know, baby, and I'm sorry. But I'm here now."

"What did you read in a newspaper that I was marrying a billionaire and come here to try to scam me for some money?"

"I had no idea that you were getting married until Jax came to Atlantic City and told me."

"Jax told you?" Courtney felt a mix of surprise and sadness at that. On the one hand she was glad that Jax had gone to her mother, much like she had gone to his, but that had turned out badly, and she was not sure that this would turn out any better. And she was sad because it was apparent that her mother had not kept track of her. But Courtney herself had been no better.

"Yes. Jax told me that despite everything that had happened between us, you still wanted to see me. That you still loved me, even. Is that true?"

Courtney stared hard at her mother. She had changed. She looked older, the lines that had only just begun to show through the pounds and pounds of make up that she used to try to cover her age had gotten deeper. Courtney could also see in her eyes love and concern. She also seemed sincerely apologetic. And seeing those things reminded her of how much she had missed her mother and how she had wished she had not let them come to such and impasse. Because deep down in her heart she loved her mother and needed her so much.

With tears in her eyes, she nodded. "Yes, mom. It's all true. I missed you so much." She reached out to her mother and was enfolded in a tight hug, both happy and relieved that the breach between them was on its way to being mended.

* * *

Jax was on his way to return to Courtney's room with a pitcher of water for her and a cup when he saw Steven Webber.

"Doctor, have you gotten Courtney's test results back yet?"

"Yes, I have. I was just on my way to see her now. Is she still asleep?"

"No, but she's in there talking with her mother. I wanted to give them some privacy…they've been rather estranged as of late."

"Ah, well, there's nothing dire, I'll just tell you, and you can tell her later."

"Then she's fine? Her tests results came back OK?"

"She's perfect. She and the baby are both very healthy…apart from the headache."

"That's great to hear…" Jax replied immediately relieved that the doctor had given her a clean bill of health. "Wait a second, did you just say 'and the baby'?"

"You didn't know? Courtney's pregnant."

"But…I thought…we thought…she wouldn't be able to get pregnant without surgery," Jax replied in shock. He let his hands fall and consequently spilled the pitcher of water.

"It appears you two have beaten the odds." Dr. Webber grabbed the water and cup from him and set them on the nurse's station. "Congratulations!" He grinned.

"Thank you. Thank you! This is fabulous news! Courtney will be so surprised, and excited! I'm pretty sure she had no idea, or she would have told me." He grabbed Dr. Webber by the shoulders and squeezed. "I'm going to go tell her now!" He exclaimed, running down the hallway.

"Don't forget…the water…" Dr. Webber called out after his retreating form. Looking down at the mess he had made, he shook his head, but could not help but smile.

Janine was gone when he got there.

"Where's my water?" Courtney asked.

"Shit!" Jax exclaimed.

"All that time and you still forgot?" Courtney smiled wryly. "Or did you do it on purpose, so that you could give me and my mother some time alone to talk?"

"Well, I did leave for that reason. But—"

"It worked, Jax. I don't even know how I can thank you for what you did, getting her to come like you did. I didn't even know myself how much I missed her until I saw her again…but you did. You always know me better than I know myself."

"I'm glad it worked."

"I only wish that my visit to your mother had turned out as well."

"Just give her time."

"I don't think it will be that easy."

"Just trust me."

Courtney felt regret at those words. How many times had he asked her to trust him, and how many times had she shown that she was incapable or unwilling to do it. "I should have trusted you SO many times. I should have trusted you with the truth when I lied for Jason, and I should have trusted that you would not have asked me to marry you if you still had lingering feelings for Brenda. Which was _exactly_ what I was afraid of, and you called me on it immediately. I don't know why I let Lady Jane get to me. I've just been so emotional lately."

"I have something important to tell you that may explain why you've been feeling the way you have."

"What is it?"

"I can't believe it never occurred to us before…the strange cravings you've been having…how you've been getting sick in the mornings…and sometimes the afternoon…and your emotional volatility…all the signs were there, but we just never realized it…"

"Realized what?" Courtney asked becoming alarmed.

Jax reached out and pressed his hand against her stomach. "That you're going to have a baby. Courtney, you're pregnant!"

"Oh, my God! Jax!" she exclaimed throwing herself into his arms. He squeezed her tight and then pulled away enough to kiss her. She could not believe the news. She looked down at her still flat stomach and then back up at Jax who was beaming with happiness. "I only dreamed it would be possible," she told him with tears in his eyes. "I didn't want to hope too much for fear of disappointment…but now…" She could not stop the tears from falling out of her eyes, but they were tears of happiness and Jax wiped them away tenderly with his thumb. "I don't know how to thank you, Jax."

"Thank me for what?"

"For being my prince charming and making all of my dreams come true. I love you so much, Jax."

"I love you, too. And as for thanking me, can you just make me a promise?"

"Anything."

"Don't run away from me. Things may seem bad, but if you just give us a chance to work things out, I think we can, if we talk about it. Just like now, and especially since we've got this baby to think about."

"I promise."

Jax sighed with relief and kissed her again. "Now that's all straightened out, we should think about our wedding. We can't let anything else delay it more than it has been or you'll be too fat to fit in your wedding dress!"

Courtney laughed and smacked him on the shoulder. "You continue to say things like that and I'll take Etienne up on his offer of marriage…_he'd _never call me fat."

"He doesn't even speak English!"

"I know." Courtney grinned devilishly, but Jax transformed her grin into an expression of passion when he kissed her enthusiastically, showing her how happy and pleased he was that the crisis of their break up was over and they were joyfully expecting.


End file.
